Interchangeable Base Steel Structure Storage Assembly

ABSTRACT

A storage rack assembly includes a base steel structure which is interchangeably connected to the storage rack above. The base steel structure assembly is compromised of structural material with bolted connections which allow for the replacement or changing of damaged material due to accidental forklift contact all while the above storage system stays in place.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Continuation Pat.Application No. 17/351,437, filed Jun. 18, 2021, which is a continuationof U.S. Application No. 16/637,231, filed Feb. 6, 2020, now abandoned,which was a National Stage of International Application No.PCT/CA2018/050924, filed Jul. 30, 2018, which claims priority to U.S.62/543,114, filed Aug. 9, 2017. The entire disclosures of the aboveapplications are incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the invention is in the art of storageracks for accommodating products and pallets for holding palletizedmaterial. The storage racks of the invention have upright columns andbeams either structural or roll-form attached to the columns withboltless or bolted connections.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to storage racks of that type installed inWarehouses/Distribution Centers for the support of palletized material,particularly to those designated storage rack sites which are highvolume, high throughput applications.

With the ever-increasing cost per square foot to either lease or buildwarehouse/distribution space, storage racking systems have been pushedto ever increasing heights to increase storage density while decreasingcost per pallet stored. This trend has been aided by the advancement inmaterial handling equipment (MHE) which now allows for greater loadingcapacities at ever higher levels. In a further effort to optimize thestorage system layout, the material handling equipment’s (MHE) workingaisles which are required to travel to the desired location to eitherstore or retrieve goods must be reduced to the lowest clearancepossible.

As one reduces the clear working aisle for the material handlingequipment, the incident rate of MHE contacting and damaging the storageracking system greatly increases. With the industry typically favouringlighter duty roll-form systems (made from sheet steel, for example) overstructural systems (made from channel iron, angle iron, tubing, etc.)for economical and ease of use reasons, it has further increased theoccurrence of racking damage.

As roll-form columns gain their strength by being rolled into specificshapes and dimensions, any deformation thereof greatly reduces thecarrying capacity of said column. Once impacted by MHE they are highlyprone to collapse.

Even in the event of slight contact where the front column is slightlydamaged, the column (if bolted) must be replaced or possibly the entireupright if of a welded construction.

To replace the damaged column or upright, the loaded pallets either sideof the damaged component must be removed from the system and the rackdissembled. After repairs, the pallet must then be reloaded on thestructure.

The above process is both an expensive and a time consuming one. Thehigher the system the greater the number of components that need to bedismantled. Further, this work must be done by a trained professionalinstaller who has the required certifications to operate the MHE and anever-increasing list of requirements set out by health and safetyregulations which differ depending on regions.

It should be noted that it is very rare in these instances for thefacility to have replacement components on-site which furtherexacerbates the time and cost associated with the required systemrepairs.

For a repair to take place, the individual in charge (IC) of the systemmust first be notified by the MHE operator that such damaged occurred.Then it must be inspected by a qualified individual to verify that thesystem or component is still fit for use. If deemed not fit for use thenall beam levels must be unloaded of product as previously mentionedabove. Then the (IC) must reach out to the manufacturer for areplacement component making sure to specify the exact part required asper the engineering calculation package and installation drawings. Amiscommunication during this step can lead to an improper column orupright or brace being ordered and installed which is not capable ofhandling the required loading conditions thus creating a health andsafety concern for all parties working in and around the system. Thisusually requires a site visit by a manufacturer or dealer representativeto verify that the upright requested is correct which further delays therepair process.

Depending on the manufacturer’s schedule it may take 2 - 6 weeks to forthe part to be put through purchasing, engineering, scheduling,fabrication and then shipping. During this time, the facility no longerhas access to the pallet positions lost due to damage. This can greatlyimpact their storage capacity, replenishment and pick cycles as well asoverall facility efficiencies which many facilities are now beingtracked on for overall performance and ultimately employees’ bonuses.

With the first step being the most critical for a safe workingenvironment, the reporting of incidents where racking damage occurs, itusually goes unreported as it will have a negative impact on thequantitative benchmarks of the facility.

The (IC) typically waits for several damages to occur within the rackingsystem prior to ordering in replacement components. Good operators willlock out their damaged locations within their warehouse managementsystem (WMS) as well as physically empty all pallets within the damagedmaterial zone and further tape off said locations. This unfortunately isnot the norm and damage is only reported or discovered in an annualsafety audit thus an unsafe working environment can be allowed tocontinue for as long as the incident goes unreported or undiscovered.

Although damage can occur in any part of the racking system, it iscommon knowledge that most of all damage to the system occurs from thefloor to the top of the first load beam in any given bay. This damagemostly occurs due to operator error when piloting the MHE (forklift)while interfacing with the racking system. The combined weight of theMHE, onboard battery and pallet load creates a very convincing batteringram.

In a very high percentage of cases the front column and internal bracingpanels take most of the impacts from the MHE. These components locatedat the bottom of the upright are the most critical with regards to thestructural integrity of the system. As all upper loads are beingsupported by these critical components any damage to the bottom of theupright creates a situation where they are highly susceptible to failureand ultimately collapse.

The pallet racking industry has come up with various measures to limitthe damage at the lower portion of the system however many if not allfail to address the real needs of the facility from an economical,safety and downtime perspective.

The background description provided here is for the purpose of generallypresenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently namedinventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, aswell as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify asprior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedlyadmitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a means in which to replace damagedcomponents of the most critical part of the structure all while theabove storage system stays in place. This design provides the followingdistinct advantages over prior art.

The base steel structure assembly is manufactured as an entirelyseparate piece from the above storage rack itself however the aboveloading conditions are factored into the engineering and design of thebase assembly. As the base steel structure assembly would be required totake more abuse than the above rack system it would be manufactured fromheavy structural members thus allowing for a more economical lightergauge material to be used for the rack system above.

It should be noted that the base steel structure assemblies’ materialand dimensions will change to suit engineering and system requirements.

The base is designed with front and rear columns with holes punched onthe face of the material to allow for bolted connections. The front andrear columns would have welded tabs which are provided with holes toaccept hardware. and the holes are located at various heights within theweb as dictated by engineering. The welded tabs allow for the bracingpanels to be bolted to the front and rear columns as well as thehorizontal channels located at the lower end of the base. The bracingpanels can be of (“K”, “X”, or “Z”) configuration or as per engineeringrequirements.

Further, the base steel structure assembly is designed such that thefront and rear column support a horizontal member at the top of theassembly to which the above storage rack upright would be affixed to.The horizontal memberand all subsequent bracing panels would be boltedto the front and rear column to allow for the damaged components to bereplaced in the event of accidental MHE contact.

Upon damage either being discovered or reported, the MHE operator wouldsimply unload palletized material from all beams levels either side ofthe damaged base steel structure assembly and proceed with the repair asfollows.

In the event of a damaged bracing panel, the trained individual wouldsimply unfasten two bolts at either end of the damaged structuralmember, remove the damaged component, install the new component, andthen fasten the new hardware as required. The estimated time to replacea damaged component is about 10 minutes.

If the front column is damaged, the trained individual would unfastenand remove all internal bracing components allowing for the placement ofa load jack under the top horizontal member which in turn would supportthe above load. This would allow pressure to be released from the boltedconnections and the removal of the hardware from the damaged column. Thefront column would simply be removed allowing for the installation ofthe new front column. All bolted connections would be installed with newhardware and fastened as required. The estimated time to replace adamaged component is about 45 minutes.

As an added safety feature a solid connection is made between the loadjack and the horizontal member via a hole punched or otherwise formed inthe member that accepts a bolt fixed to the load jack that can then beheld in place with a nut.

When designing a racking system with this base steel structure assembly,it would be prudent to have the first load beam level be made ofstructural material (as opposed to roll-form) as it receives a greatdeal of impact from MHE as well.

Preferably, the front and rear base columns as well as the tophorizontal member should terminate above the first load beam as the loadbeam connection will add further rigidity to the system. This designconfiguration further benefits the above racking system as it elevatesthe weakest link in the chain out of the MHE impact zone.

As demonstrated this invention saves valuable time and costs associatedwith repairing the most critical part of the racking system as well asdrastically increases the overall durability, longevity and safety ofthe system.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will becomeapparent from the detailed description, the claims, and the drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposesof illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of thedisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of a prior art storage rack;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a first embodiment of a storagesystem made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a base portion of the storage system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the base portion of the storage system in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the base portion of the storage system in FIG.2 ;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the storage system of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the storage system of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of a dismantled base;

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of the base being repaired while beingsupported by the load jack;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the encircled area 10 in FIG.9 of the base and above upright connection;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the encircled area 11 in FIG.9 showing the base and above upright connections as well as a portion ofthe sub assemblies while under repair;

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of the dismantled base of analternate embodiment of the storage system; and

FIG. 13 is an exploded side perspective view of the upper right portionof the base showing an enhanced connection detail.

In the drawings, reference numbers may be reused to identify similarand/or identical elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an example of a prior art storage rack that may beretrofitted to make a rack in accordance with the present invention. Apreferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2-11 .

The rack of FIG. 1 has a multitude of forward columns 24, and amultitude of rear columns 36, and horizontal load beams 18interconnecting the forward and rear columns 24, 36 to form levels tosupport palletized material. Each pair of forward and rear columns 24,36 extends from a baseplate 26 and also includes horizontalforward-to-rear braces 14 and diagonal forward-to-rear braces 17. Inthis configuration, the back to back columns 36 have row spacers 16 thatcontrol the flue dimension. This rack is prone to damage from materialhandling equipment (MHE) when the operator is interfacing with theracking system. It is then very problematic and costly to repair thedamage uprights as discussed above.

FIG. 2 shows a storage rack with a base steel structure assembly made upof structural components to greatly reduce the damage due to impact bythe MHE. The upper portion of the front columns terminate above thefirst load beam level as the load beam connection adds additionaldurability and rigidity to the base steel structure assembly. This rackmay be made in this form initially, or it may be made by retrofittingthe prior art rack of FIG. 1 . This rack also has a front column 78,rear column 98, horizontal load beams 86 and horizontal pallet supports66. The columns are supported by bolted horizontal forward-to-rearbraces 58 and bolted diagonal forward-to-rear braces 60. The palletsupports interconnect via an angle bracket 64 to the front and rearhorizontal load beams 86. A horizontal member 82 is bolted connected tothe top of the front column 78 and the rear column 98. This horizontalmember has an identical hole punch pattern on the front face of thematerial which corresponds to the baseplates’ 26 hole pattern, thisallows for a bolted connection between the upper and lower columns. Oncefully assembled, the entire assembly is then anchored to an underlyingfloor via holes extending through baseplates 70 attached to the frontcolumns 78 and baseplates 96 attached to the rear columns 98.

FIG. 3 shows front column 78 with corresponding baseplate 70. The frontcolumn is punched with round holes to accept bolted connections asrequired.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the horizontal member 82 with correspondingfront column 78 and rear column 98. The horizontal member would haveholes 84, punched or otherwise formed on the front face of the materialwhich correspond to the holes in the baseplate 26 in FIG. 2 to allow fora bolted connection. The front baseplate 70 and rear baseplate 96 whichallow for the assembly to be anchored to the floor are also illustrated.A plate 80 is welded to each end of the horizontal structural member 82which allows for a bolted connection between the front column 78 and therear column 98.

FIG. 5 shows the base steel structure assembly fully assembled and priorto being connected to the above storage system. Bolted connections 100allow for quick and easy replacement of damaged components all while theabove storage system stays in place. The front column 78 and rear column98 are typically rectangular or C-shaped structural members. The columnsare supported by horizontal forward-to-rear braces 58 and diagonalforward-to-rear braces 60. The braces are bolted to tabs 74 and 76 onthe front column and tabs 90 and 92 on the rear column. Before beingwelded to the columns the tabs are provided with holes through punchingor otherwise to accept a bolted connection which allows for easyreplacement of braces if ever damaged. The horizontal member 82 which ispositioned at the top of the assembly is bolted to the front column 78and rear column 98. This horizontal member allows for the columns in theabove storage rack to remain in place during the replacement of anydamaged structural component as it supports the load from both columnsand is connected by bolts through said columns baseplates 26 in FIG. 1 .A vertical load jack 200 (FIGS. 9 and 11 ) may be installed under thehorizontal member to take the above load while the required repairs arebeing completed. The horizontal channel 62 which is bolted to tabs 72and 94 acts as a guard rail to further protect the critical bracingpanel above from damage. This structural channel is considered asacrificial component and is generally not considered in the engineeringof the base steel structure assembly. Once assembled to the storage rackabove, the entire assembly is anchored to the floor via the front andrear baseplates 70 and 96.

FIGS. 6 and 7 shows the base steel structure assembly connected to theabove storage rack assembly as per the present invention. The frontcolumn 78 should terminate above the first load beam 86 as any lower andthe lighter column material 24 in the above storage rack would beexposed to damage as it would more than likely fail before thestructural material below. The structural bolted angle connectors 84 and88 which are positioned on either end of the load beam 86, add furtherrigidity and durability to the base assembly and greatly restricts thetransfer of forces from the MHE further up the column 78. This designconfiguration keeps the damage below the top horizontal member 82 inFIG. 5 thus allowing damage components to be replaced without thedismantling of the above storage rack.

FIG. 8 shows the base steel structure assembly completely dismantled orprior to assembly as well as all the locations of the bolt 100 and nut102 connections. This further shows the ease in which the front columnor braces can be replaced in the event of damaged caused by the MHE.This view of the front column 78 further details the tabs 72, 74 and 76which may be punched and welded to the web of the column. The plates 80on either end of the top horizontal channel 82 may be punched and weldedto allow for a bolted connection with the front column 78 and rearcolumn 98. Having the plates 80 welded to the horizontal member 82allows for the front column 78 to pull away without restriction from theassembly when being replaced due to damage. Having the lower horizontalmembers 58 and 62 bolted to the front column 78 and rear column 98allows for them to be installed after the anchoring of the assembly hasbeen completed. This allows for proper alignment of the anchoringhardware as these members 58 and 62 do not impede the vertical alignmentof the drilling process.

FIG. 9 shows the base steel structure assembly’s front column 78 underrepair. In the event of damage to either the front column 78, rearcolumn 98, diagonal brace 60 or horizontal braces 58, the vertical loadjack 200 is installed under the top horizontal member 82 and fastened inplace via a nut on the fixed bolt of the jack. The horizontal member 82has pre-punched hole locations at either end of the member (FIG. 11 ) toallow for the bolt from the vertical load jack to be positioned into asan added safety feature. The vertical load jack would then be ratchetedup to pick up the load from the above storage rack and release the shearload on the bolted connections of the base steel structure assemblybelow. Upon removal of all bolted connections 100, the damaged componentwould be simply removed and a new component would be installed with newhardware. The vertical load jack would then be unbolted from thehorizontal member 82 returning the above load to the base assemblybelow.

FIG. 10 shows a detail view of the load beam 86 being bolted with bolts100 through the beam connector 84 to the rear column 98. The abovestorage rack rear column 24 is bolted via the rear columns baseplate 26to the base assemblies’ top horizontal member 82. In the event of arepair to the base steel structure assembly, the top horizontal member82 remains fixed to the above storage rack.

FIG. 11 shows a detail view of the front column 78 of the base assemblybeing repaired. The vertical load jack is positioned with the bolt 100through the top horizontal member 82 for the duration of the repair. Theposition of the top horizontal member plate 80 is instrumental inallowing the front column 78 to be removed without restriction upon theremoval of all hardware. The punched and welded tab 76 has been releasedfrom the horizontal brace 58 and diagonal brace 60 by a single boltconnection. The front column 24 and subsequent baseplate 26 remainbolted to the top horizontal member 82 for the duration of the repairthus simplifying the entire process and greatly reducing the high costassociated with a complete dismantle.

FIG. 12 shows the base assembly completely dismantled or prior toassembly with enhancements to the plates 180 and the top horizontalmember 182 as compared to prior embodiments 80 and 82. All else remainsthe same. By changing the structural material of 182 from channel to(formed and notched) plate, it allows for a wider more stable platformfor the upper column 24 and subsequent baseplate 26 to sit on. The widerplatform also allows for the acceptance of various baseplate 26dimensions and anchor locations. The prior narrower embodiment 82 wouldhave required manufacturers to modify their baseplates to suit causingreduced market acceptance and additional costs. Further, the plates 180which are now welded to the underside of 182 have been slightly recessedfrom either end of the top horizontal member thus allowing the platematerial to extend to the front face of the front column 78 and rearcolumn 98. This enhancement guarantees that the top horizontal member182 always sits above the front column 78 and the rear column 98. Priorembodiments may have allowed for the top horizontal member 82 to restbelow the front column 78 and rear column 98 creating unwanted stress onthe above baseplates 26.

FIG. 13 shows the base assemblies in an exploded view for the rearcolumn 98, the enhanced top horizontal member 182, the repositionedplate 180 as well as the horizontal brace 58 and diagonal brace 60. Theexplanation for enhancements to both 180 and 180 are explained in FIG.12 .

What is claimed is:
 1. A base steel structure assembly for supporting anoverlying racking system, said racking system having upright columnswhich support horizontal beams extending therebetween and connectedthereto, said base steel structure assembly comprising: a front columnextending from a front baseplate; a rear column generally parallel tosaid front column and extending from a rear baseplate an upperhorizontal member extending between an upper end of said front and rearcolumns and releasably secured thereto; a lower horizontal memberextending between a lower end of said front and rear columns andreleasably secured thereto; at least one brace extending diagonallybetween said front and rear columns and releasably secured thereto; saidupper horizontal member being securable to said upright columns of saidoverlying racking system for supporting said overlying racking system;and, said front and rear columns being provided with holes therethroughfor securement of a support beam respectively to front and rear columnsof an adjacent of said base steel structure assembly; wherein saidsupport being is receivable below the upper portions of the frontcolumns; and wherein each of the components of the base steel structureis replaceable.
 2. A base steel structure assembly as claimed in claim 1wherein said upright columns extend upwardly from respective baseplates;said respective baseplates have holes extending therethrough; said upperhorizontal member is provided with holes therethrough which registerwith the holes in the respective baseplates of the upright columns forbolting of the respective baseplates to the upper horizontal member. 3.A base steel structure assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said upperhorizontal member are releasably secured to said front and rear columnswith nuts and bolts.
 4. A base steel structure assembly as claimed inclaim 2 having a lower horizontal channel bolted between said front andrear columns beneath said lower horizontal member to act as a guardrailto protect said at least one brace.
 5. A base steel structure assemblyas claimed in claim 2 having a lower horizontal channel bolted betweensaid front and rear columns beneath said lower horizontal member.
 6. Abase steel structure assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upperhorizontal member are releasably secured to said front and rear columnswith nuts and bolts.
 7. A base steel structure assembly as claimed inclaim 6 having a lower horizontal channel bolted between said front andrear columns beneath said lower horizontal member.
 8. A base steelstructure assembly as claimed in claim 1 having a lower horizontalchannel bolted between said front and rear columns beneath said lowerhorizontal member to act as a guardrail to protect said at least onebrace.